Manufacture of capillary containers and dispensers



Apr. 24; 1923.

I W. GOODCHILD V MANUFACTURE OF CAPILLARY CONTAINERS AND DISPENSERS Filed Feb. 25 I921 ATTURNEY atented pr. 24,

W'EER-GDODCHILD, F

LAND, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NIPS INCORPO- OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF JERSEY.

MANUFACT URE OF CAPILLARY CONTAINERS AND DISPENSERS.

Application filedlebruary 25, 1921; Serial 'No. 447,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known "that I, WALTER GO0DC HILD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, in the countypf Bergen and '5 State of New Jersey, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Mann- 1 facture of Capillary COIItELIEIBIS and Disensers, of whlch the followlng is a spec1- Ecation, reference being bad therem to the accompanying drawing.

' The invention relates to. receptacles that are specially designed to contain and dispense perfumes, or other precious liquids and fluids, which it is expedient or advisable to use but sparingly at any one application.

To speak only of perfumes, with which the present invention is chiefly concerned, 1t is well known that according to custom theyare put up and sold in fluid-ounce quantities,

' contained in bottles of various shapes, more or less tightly corked or stoppered. This antiquated method of handling and uslng valuable perfumery is extravagantlywasteful and irrational. the bottled perfume inevltably evaporates, because of frequent removal and replacement of the cork or stopper, and the subtle vapors then escaping cause a constant depreciation, which is greatly aggravated 1f through 1nadvertence or neglect the bottle is leftuncoveredQ. Then a bottle may be overturned and the contents thereof spilled. Besides,

there is no 'guide ordinarily connected with a bottle indicating what is the correct 5 iii-mount of perfume to use, whether 1t be fresh and strong, or old and alred. Therefore, one can. only guess the proper amount, which often leads to using less than what is needed and falling shortof the end de- 4 sired, or else to applying more than good taste calls for, which is suggestive of vulgarity. These are some of the defects which the present invention aims toremedy,

An important object of the invention s toprovidea convenient and economical way of using an expensive perfume, permitting it-to ,be readily aecessible'and employed in limited quantities sufficient to satisfy all ordinar requirements.

,Anot er object is to produce an lmproved article of the class referred to, enabling the inanufacturer thereof to take a small amount of rare perfume and subdivide the same into A considerable quantity of tainer and a dispenser, being made to hold, until wanted, enough of a choice perfume to answer for anyone occasion, and eventually, adapted to release the same for gradual application, in such a manner as to insure perfect distribution.

A further object is theproduction of a combined contalner and dispenser of tenuous dimensions, including a slender body with diminutive extremities, adapted to receive a perfume and retain it by capillarity, and to be sealed hermetically at opposite points, wherebyrthe perfume sh'allf-be rendered proof against evaporation, though of minute quantity andl kept for an indefinite period, the contents becoming available through breakage of the seals and the draining thereof being promoted by simple contactat either endwith the fabric or garment to which the perfume is applied.,.y-

An additional object is to devisea container and dispenser of elongate tubular formation, a certain number of whichwill admit of a predetermined volume ofxfinest perfume being divided into'w fractional amounts received therein, thesepar-ate tubes constituting as many units oft-uniform capacity, with ample contents in :each for a single application, thereby making it possible to procurein comparatively inexpensive quantity what is generally regarded as exclusive perfumery, the several unitsformmg together, when neatly sheathed or incased, a dainty llttle packet of small'enough compass to find roomin a ladyspurse or handbag, so that it may be treated as a portable toilet article for casual usage at the opportune time and lace, the packets being all symmetrical and themselves to advantageous display upon a card or in show-cases pertaining to establishments where articles of this character are usually obtainable.

Other objects andadvantages of the inlip consequently lending vention will in part be obvious and in part be more fully brought out in thefollowing description. j

The invention consists in the novel improvements, parts, combinations, and features of construction herein shown and described.-

Referring to the. drawing-,-

Figure 1 is aside View of glass tubing, which is contracted at regular intervals to form bodies of approximately equal lengths separated by reduced portionsthat can also be equally parted, the latter constitutlng capillary terminals to the saidibodles when severed from one another;

Fig 2 is an enlarged View of a section of the said tubing, from which can be evolved a capillary container and dispenser of the type vbefore mentioned;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a tubular container and dispenser of normal size, the same being shown filled with a liquid, as perfume, retained therein by capillarity, though both ends of the tube are still open;

Fig. l is a side view of a like tube with sealed ends;

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional View, considerably enlargedto show clearly the individual formation of each seal on the tube; .Fig. (3 is a fragmentary sectional View, representing a modified form of seal;

Fig.7 is a view similar to the preceding, showing an addition to this modified form; Fig. 8 illustrates a convenient way of grouping a number of containers and dispensers, filled, sealed, and placed together in a sheath or case;

Fig. 9 indicates how the packets of containers and dispensers, charged with perfumes, can be displayed on a card, in various assortments; and

- Fig. 10 shows an approved method of applying the perfume to a handkerchief or any fabric directly from the container and dispenser after breaking the seals thereof at both extremities.

This improved container and dispenser is readily made of glass tubing, which initially may be of uniform diameter tln'oughout. equal for instance to the thickest portion of -the tubes represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

. The portion here referred to is designated by the numeral 11, and intended to constitute the body of the container and dispenser. It is deemed preferable to produce a number of tubes simultaneously, in order to expedite the manufacture, and, therefore, glass tubing of sufficient length is selected to admit of being cut up in as many distinct sections as can be-conveniently handled by the operator. In carrying out the present invention, the process followed in producing a plurality of tubes is to subject the glass tubing to partial fusion at regular intervals, drawing it in the meantime, so that the heated portions will become thinner than those which are unheated. The result, as exemplified in Fig. 1,

tubing. The latter having been partly fused and drawn, as recited, the reduced portions 12 and cut in two, so asoto divlde up the tubing into similar seetlons, each having a relatively thick body 11, reduced terminals 12, and intermediate necks and shoulders 13, 14, gradually inclined between the same.- Each section thus constitutes a distinct tube. The body port-ion 11 of each may be made to vary in capacity, but the reduced portions 12 are always drawn sufficiently fine to form capillary ends or terminals.

The filling of the separate tubes, with perfume, may be effected according to any approved process, for instance by suction or pressure, ora combination thereof through any suitable instrumentality. Owing to the capillary nature of the extremities 12 of the tubes, it is not necessary to seal them imme-.

diately after filling, as the perfume will be retained even if both ends of a tube are temporarily left open, and laid down flat in the manner shown in F 3. But, in practice, it

is preferred to seal oneend of each tube as soon as the filling thereof is accomplished, the other end of the tube remaining open until a number of similarly filled tubes,-closed at one extremity,-can be gathered for a continuous operation in closing the opposite extremity. The first end may be sealed in any known manner. For example, this end may simply be exposed to a flame, so as to close it by fusion, and leave thereon a small 'protuberance 17, as indicated inFigs. 4 and 5.

To produce an efi'ectiveand reliable seal with a flame applied to the second end of the tube, that is, the second to be closed, requires particular care and attention, because of the perfume then filling the tube and subject to expansion underheat, which unless relieved would prevent perfect fusion. In order to. effect the sealing properly, part of the tube adjoining the said second end is preheated,

so as to relieve it of surplus filling, which is and chilling of the preheated part of the tube, while the outer extremitythereof is' fused, for instance, by a. flame directed against it. In fusing the latter-named extremity', a spherical protuberance may also 1 be formed thereon, similar to that at the oposite end of the-tube, reviously mentioned.

I t will be understood t at the cool' of the intermediate portion 18 contracts t e tube end while it is relieved of internal pressure by contraction of the filling. Consequently,

the melting glass at the extremity last subjected to the flame is driven inward, by the external atmospheric pressure, to the extent:

7 tory to drawing the contents of a tube. An

' ing the tube thoroughly impervious, and

outer covering, as represented at 24, 7

may also be employed, if desired, to provide additional protection to either seal. This may well consist of a dense coating of collodion, or other matter capable of renderfurther serving to ward off injury to .the fingers when breaking the ends of the tube- In order to ispense advantageously the perfume contained in the tube, both ends thereof must be severed from the body to obtain therequisite air pressure, and the openended tube should be drawn over the article to be scented, in the manner suggested in Fig. 1Q. It will be understood that the dimensioiis of the tube. are such as to produce between its walls and the liquid therein a capillary attraction which is constantly greater than the weight of the liquid. Con- :sequently, the container does not become spontaneously emptied, even if held upright with its ends open, when in normal condition. But, the perfume will flow out easily,

provided one of the unsealed extremities of the tube be maintained in actual contact with the article. As the flow is interrupted by breaking the contact, it is obvious that several articles may be perfumed by a dextrous person, from a single container and dispenser.

A practical and convenient method 7 of forming a packet of a number of tubes, filled with perfume as described, is illustrated in Fig. 8. As suggested in this view, a dozen or. more of the containers and dispensers can be lodged in a small case or sheath, as 27, from which they can be'readily extracted, whenever required. A light cylindrical case of the form shown can easily be carried in a purse or hand-bag, where it will ever be available. Atnumber of these cases may also be attached to a card, in the manner repreboth of the seals may be glass stems 23, as These stems, if

sented in 9, for display in a pharm or fancy-goods store, where the same can be obtained. v Having thus? I-claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United- States, is

1. As a new article ofmanufacture, a container and" dis enser for 'erfumes, consist-- ing! of a tubu ar i receptac e with capillary en shermetically sealed, the connecting portion between the latter being of such size described my invention, what I that thecontents will not spontaneousl fl'ow outof the tube when it is held in a su staintially vertical position with its said .ends

'open in normal condition.

2. A line of capillar tubing reduced in diameter both external y and internally at regular intervals apart to produce a plurality of hollow bodies approximatel equal 1n length and cross-sectional area, an interconnecting portions proportionately restricted inward and outward, the latter being severable in twain and thereby causing the tubing to ield separate tubular sections of substantia ly uniform capacity with capillary extremities of correlated dimensions.

3'. A containerand dispenser for pere in liquid form, consisting of an attenuate sions of the tube being such as to produce between its walls and the therein contained liquid a capillary attraction constantly greater than the weight of the liquid so that t the container will not become spontaneously liquid out of the ends of said body in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof,

nals of corresponding capillarity extending outwardly from said sections.

5. A container of the character described including a tubular receptacle reduceddiametrically from the middle portion thereof to form a frangible section contiguous to either end, and a sealed portion of augmenttube with ends of reduced caliber, the dimen *and approximately straight tubular termied dimensions at said end affording a firm hold thereon beyond the point of fracture of said section.

6. A container and dispenser of the character described consisting of a capillary tube of substantially uniform diameter throu hout its major portion, tapering frangi le sections at the opposite ends thereof, sealed wardly from the same, and closures of such mass as to form finger grips at the extremities of said terminals.

WALTER GOODCHILD. [n a] terminals to' said sections extending out- 

